1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a reinforced vehicle structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reinforced vehicle structure for securing a vehicle accessory, such as a shelving arrangement or D-ring, in a cargo area of a vehicle.
2. Background Information
Reinforcement components are often used in vehicles to increase the durability or rigidity of the vehicle body structure. For example, a reinforcement component may include an additional layer of material or a thickened component in an area where forces appear to be particularly concentrated, or in an area of particular importance where enhanced stress resistance is desired. Vehicle bodies are also sometimes manufactured to include prefabricated attachment points. Such attachment points may be utilized, for example, as tie-down locations in order to more reliably and efficiently secure cargo.
Prefabricated attachment points may also be included in a vehicle design to give customers the ability to add permanent custom equipment or components, which may be sold as dealer-installed accessories or added by aftermarket up-fitters. For example, such an attachment point may comprise a nut plate, which can include an accessible threaded aperture such as a nut that is welded to the opposite-facing side of a body panel. A D-ring attachment or shelf mounting structure, for example, can be coupled to the nut plate. However, the addition of equipment and components to vehicles after the vehicles leave the factory can impose increased stresses and fatigue on the vehicle body structures, which may not have been accounted for in the initial design of the vehicles. This is especially relevant at attachment points in the vehicle body structure, where forces imposed by equipment and components are often concentrated.